NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say they have charged a dozen Tennessee gang members and associates with racketeering conspiracy related to violent criminal activity that included murder, kidnapping and witness tampering.
On Thursday, U.S. Attorney Donald Cochran in Nashville announced the unsealed, 54-count superseding indictment against the 12 associated with the Mongols Motorcycle Gang chapter in Clarksville. Three others face charges of large-scale drug trafficking and robbery violating the Hobbs Act.
In a news release, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the indictment is the next step in efforts to dismantle gangs and stop the spread of deadly drugs and violent crime.
The release says law enforcement officers began arresting those charged Thursday. One remains at large.
All defendants face up to life in prison except two, who face up to 20 years.
